Canning is seeking immediate financial support and wants to force her parents to pay for her college education. She also wants a judge to declare that she's non-emancipated and dependent as a student on her parents for support.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday.

Canning's father, retired Lincoln Park Police Chief Sean Canning, told the newspaper that his daughter's claims are not accurate. He says she voluntarily left home in October because she didn't want to abide by reasonable household rules, such as being respectful, keeping a curfew and doing some chores.

"We love our child and miss her. This is terrible. It's killing me and my wife. We have a child we want home. We're not draconian and now we're getting hauled into court," Sean Canning said. "She's demanding that we pay her bills but she doesn't want to live at home, and she's saying 'I don't want to live under your rules.'"

In recent months, Rachel Canning has been living in Rockaway Township with the family of her best friend. The newspaper reports the friend's father, former Morris County Freeholder John Inglesino, is funding the lawsuit and hired the attorney who is representing Rachel Canning.